From a 48 % passing rate in the 2010 DepEd’s Accreditation and Equivalency Test for elementary test takers, the passing rate among inmates at the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW) in Mandaluyong City hit 100% this year, giving inmates more reason to hope for a better life outside the prison.

Education Secretary Br. Armin A. Luistro FSC said education and skills development are among the rehabilitation programs of the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor), thus DepEd offered informal education through its Alternative Learning System (ALS).

“Everybody deserves a good education and this is an entitlement that must be accorded to all Filipinos regardless of their circumstances in life,” added Luistro.

ALS employs an education supervisor, two regular teachers and 21 professionally trained inmate teachers as Instructional Managers (IM) for some 252 inmate learners who have been categorized in different grade levels. For the secondary A & E test takers, the passing rate was likewise impressive – from 29% in 2010 to 86% in 2012.

Aside from learning materials provided by DepEd, CIW Superintendent Atty. Rachel Ruello allowed the use of the library and conference hall as classrooms.

One of the key reasons for the dramatic rise in passing rate was peer teaching with the help of professional inmate teachers. “They are actually licensed teachers and college professors but due to some circumstances they are serving time in prison. As part of their rehabilitation program, they were given the task of teaching their fellow inmates,” Luistro explained.

The ALS program for both learners and Instructional Managers is beneficial to them because they were given merits and commendable credits. The ALS Program started in 2008 and the progressive results of the A&E Test for three consecutive years attest to the effectiveness of the program,” said Mandaluyong City ALS Supervisor Dr. Josefina Espeso.

According to Espeso, schedules of classes are posted in bulletin boards and every peer teacher has teaching schedules for their six hours of teaching load. “Teachers are teachers everywhere and anywhere they serve they will always be respected,” she said. The IMs are closely supervised by the regular teachers and education supervisor.

The success of the ALS program in the Women’s Correctional was replicated at BJMP Mandaluyong supported by Mayor BenHur Abalos where 22 inmates passed the A & E test. The program is also being implemented in Camp Karingal in Quezon City.

“We are exploring the possibility of linking with Rizal Technological University for a continuing education program for passers as part of the university’s outreach program,” Espeso said.

JL Santiago Aquino

A millennial lifestyle blogger from Caloocan City who adores trying new things. ✨ “Make jokes. No stress. Love. Live life. Proceed. Progress!”

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JL Santiago Aquino

A millennial lifestyle blogger from Caloocan City who adores trying new things. ✨“ No stress. Love. Live life. Proceed. Progress!”